Betty White, to put it simply, is a national. Then, learn about the first African-American photographers and their portraits. Listen to Betty White. The cancellation of her variety and talk show came after a huge backlash surrounding the appearance of Arthur Duncan. So, needless to say, Arthur was pretty excited when Betty showed up onstage and surprised him. After being born in Pasadena, California in September 1933, Arthur Duncan took his first steps in the performing world at the age of just 13 and after a brief spell studying pharmacy, returned to the world of showbusiness in his early 20s. Duncan was featured on the show at least three times. Watch The Betty White Show (November 29th, 1954) 1 Video 3 Photos Family Music Talk-Show Daytime show with Betty White talking to guests, singing with the orchestra, etc. The show was a daytime talk show that also featured entertainment segments that are typical of variety shows. In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show.Betty responded with Im sorry. - Wikipedia-----Video originally shared on archive.orgShared for historical purposes. env: 'prod', She extended his airtime instead, and responded to racists with "I'm sorry. Duncan even tapped a routine in front of Betty White in a throwback to their time on her show from the 50s. The Betty White Show gave tap dancing star Arthur Duncan his big break but his appearance on the show wasnt universally popular at all. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. Arthur Duncan was invited onto The Betty White Show as a recurring performer for its one-season run in 1954. . 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. But one heartwarming story about her principled stand in supporting a Black colleagues career despite opposition highlighted another facet of her life. Then, in 1964, he was scouted by Sam Lutz, the manager of The Lawrence Welk Show, and invited to come on as a guest. Duncan went on to have alustrouscareer inshow business and gained fame for being the first Black performer on The Lawrence Welk Show,according to The Library of Congress. -----#####Reelblack's mission is to educate, entertain, enlighten, and empower through Black film. "The Betty White Show" was short-lived, repeatedly rescheduled and eventually taken off air, per the Post. With substantial clout, she developed her own variety show in 1954 and wasted no time giving talented performers a shot. He was a 13-year-old student when he joined the dance quartet at McKinley Junior High School and began studying under renowned choreographer Nick Castle. As in, before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine and the Greensboro, N.C., lunch-counter sit-ins. The show was canceled soon after. After learning about Arthur Duncan, read about how Hattie McDaniel became the first Black Oscar winner. ]); The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on TV, even though the color of his skin was a real problem for some people. When encouraged to take Arthur Duncan off the air, White, then in her 30s, said: "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," per the Post. Life With Elizabeth ran until 1955; during 1954, White simultaneously presented her own variety show, her second Betty White show. There was even a regular childrens segment. subcat: '', Over 60 years later,Whiteand Duncan were reunited on Little Big Shots: Forever Young to Duncans surprise. Betty White was weeks away from her 100th birthday and planned a big celebration. White, a boundary-breaking television star by 1952, then became the first woman to produce a sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, which she also starred in. Betty White rejected attempts to keep Black dancer Arthur Duncan off her show in the 1950s. Are you going to go house to house?. White made a career playing sweet characters with hidden and hilarious grit, and that quality goes all the way back to her first televised variety show, where, as the host and producer, she defied racist demands to get rid of Duncan because he was Black. The show. With newfound creative control, White created a sitcom that earned her a Best Actress Emmy nomination. The Betty White Showwas a spinoff of KTLA variety show Hollywood on Television, which White joined in 1949. Shaoni Das is a writer based out of Alberta, Canada. Contact I did something a little different, Duncan told her. Oborfacts What can i say? divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. Jan 1, 2022. He told her, I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over. And without missing a beat, Betty replied, Oh, I hope so. Tai Saint-Louis January 2, 2022 6442 Arthur Duncan and Betty White, reunited by Steve Harvey As the world mourns actress and comedienne Betty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are. "I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business. In 2010, the Forest Service made Betty White an honorary forest ranger. In 1961, the then 39-year-old actress met the man . Racial justice wasnt the only focus of her activism, either. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Arthur Duncan, a gifted dancer whose appearance on one of Betty White's early TV shows prompted a showdown between southern censors and White, died January 4. Masthead, Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. It was also the year segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Arthur Duncan, the dancer in question, was a young man in his twenties, striving to make a mark in the industry. She just stood up for her beliefs, said Duncan. ]); And it was never a question at all," he recalled. He entertained thousands of viewers each week with his performances and dazzled thousands more with his live performances. Getty Images. You never ask me out," per People. tude.cmd.push(function() { In a 2018 documentary honoring Bettys illustrious career, Arthur said, I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television. Betty herself wasnt blind to the outrage, but she wouldnt let the commotion, or as she said, the ruckus sway her in the least. When she's not writing or scouring the internet for ideas, you can find her playing Genshin Impact or eating Biriyani. Throughout her life, she lent her support to myriad animal rights organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, The Morris Animal Foundation, African Wildlife Foundation, and Actors and Others for Animals. Betty White, whose more than 80-year career included Emmy-winning roles on sitcoms "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died on Dec. 31. In 1954, Betty White created and hosted her own daily variety and talk show, The Betty White Show. There was the time she ignored criticism about having Arthur Duncan, . White's team of talent included Black performer Arthur Duncan, who was about 21 at the time and looking for his big break. Michael Green, 69, molecular and cell biologist (b. tude.cmd.push(function() { A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. You never call, responded White. Arthur Duncan. . You never call. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', In 1954, Ms. White was pressured to replace Mr. Duncan, a dancer who went on to receive . *Arthur Duncan was born on this date in 1933. 1954) February 11 Howard Bragman, 66, public relations executive (b. Entrepreneurs Summit I rehearsed with a choral group thats going to do Christmas carols this Christmas., Oh, wonderful, White said. Theres a reason why shes widely celebrated as a trailblazer of her generation: she didnt offer any excuses or apologies. The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. she bluntly told those that brought the matter to her, reported PEOPLE. You dont need to be young or rich or particularly well-educated to treat someone with respect or compassion. Simply put, if people like her hadnt raised their voices and resisted hatred and ignorance, our world wouldnt have been the same. The daily talk/variety show on NBC allowed White to hire a female director (opens in new tab) as well as Arthur Duncan, . Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', "I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over," Duncan told White, to which she replied: "Oh, I hope so. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { As in, the year the Supreme Court handed down the Brown v. Board of Education decision banning segregated schools. In this day and age, this wouldn't be seen as any sort of big deal. Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself keeps you feeling young. She also told her critics to "live with it.". White explained the controversy in the documentary, "All through the South there was this whole ruckus, they were going to take the show off the air if we didn't get rid of Arthur because he was Black," said White. Although NBC eventually canceled Whites show, Duncan had become a star. She was fond of leveraging her power to extend empathy towards those who were far less privileged than her. Born on Sept. 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California, Arthur Duncan gravitated to the life of a performer from a very young age. Rest well, Betty. However, Duncan spent years presuming that his dream of becoming an artist was too far-fetched. He remained part of the cast from 1964 to 1982. window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Have something to tell us about this article? A long and successful career followed, including several film and TV appearances. Live. This article was published more than1 year ago. Copywriter by day, true crime enthusiast by night - she has a passion for uncovering perspectives that capture the full spectrum of human nature. But her decision to defy conventional norms and balk at Southern naysayers allowed Duncan to go one to make history at least twice more. About White . Little Big Shots: Forever Young airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. Steve Harvey also had Betty White come on to the show to reunite them. Arthur first appeared on The Betty White Show in 1954. Tap dancer & Singer Arthur Duncan performing "Sing You Sinners,Sing" (1954) Live with it: Betty White defied racist demands in 1954. According to the 2020 book Betty White on TV, the show failed to attract sponsors and was cancelled on Dec. 31, 1954 despite a desperate plea by White to NBC execs. It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. The show was a daytime talk show that also featured ente. Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of Steve Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young. And he got his start in no small part thanks to Betty White. "I was on the show, and they had some letters out of Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there," said Duncan during an episode of 'Steve Harvey's Little Big Shots: Forever Young' in 2017. Duncan, 88, was a regular featured performer on White's NBC variety talk show, The Betty White Show , in the . on her eponymous talk show in 1954 . This was in 1954. White gave it to him, he recounted in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.. Unfortunately, the show was canceled the same year, though its hard to say whether it was a direct result of the outcry or if interest was waning in general. Nick Castle Jr. had become a director and asked Duncan to dance his 1989 film Tap, starring Sammy Davis Jr. Duncan obliged, but his accolades didnt end there. This took place in 1954: when American society was still organized on the basis of hard racial lines, and segregation was considered the norm. She just cared about giving people the respect they deserve. However, Betty White wasnt always such a universally loved figure as the cancellation of The Betty White Show in 1954 goes to show. In a time where segregation was at the forefront of American issues, Betty Whiterejected attempts to keep a Black dancer off her show. I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven. Not one to waste an opportunity, White immediately set about hiring Duncan to dance on The Betty White Show, which aired on NBC in Los Angeles. White's death, at the age of 99, was announced on Friday. } Underwood said Duncan was her inspiration for tap dancing. Arthur Duncan, 97, tap dancer (The Lawrence Welk Show, The Betty White Show) (b. Later on, he became the first African-American regular on a variety program. We bring people together, change perceptions, and inspire actions that impact culture for good. Duncan recalled the furor and the actor backing him during those testing times. subcat: '', White went on to game shows, the talk-show circuit and eventually mega-stardom as Rose Nylund on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls.. The first TV show I had ever been on, and I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television, he said. 'The Betty White Show' saw her perform songs and entertain viewers with skits and interviews with guests. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right.
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